A hearty congratulations to Savannah Quinlan, the winner of our 2025 Essay contest, and to Gavin Laur, the runner-up! Both had outstanding essays advocating for a title or author we should carry in the store; Savannah argued for the us carrying Tumble & Blue, while Gavin wrote a convincing case for the books of John Flanagan, most famous for his Ranger's Apprentice series. We had a strong submission to this contest all around this year, so a heartfelt thank you to every young person who took the time write something about a book they loved. Every essay was a joy to read.

We held a small get-together at the bookstore this past Saturday to which every participant was invited, where we played the "guess who is on the card on your forehead" game (literary edition), had each participant read their essay, and had snacks!